[the above information is taken from this note] "A juvenile gray morph Gyrfalcon
was seen at around 7:30 am for about 20 minutes in flight and perched on April
7th, 2001 at the Rosebud field station road about 18 miles southwest of Rosette,
UT (Box Elder county) latitude - 41.6071 N longitude - 113.5897 W."

Distance
to bird:

Optical
equipment:

60x Nikon scope

Weather:

Light
Conditions:

Detailed
description of bird:

While perched The bird appeared large (about Red-tailed Hawk size) with broad
shoulders and chest that tapered down to the belly -- the silhouette of a large
falcon. Its breast and belly were streaked more heavily than a heavily marked
juvenile Prairie Falcon (the darkest of the Prairies) and less heavily marked
than most juvenile Peregrine Falcons. The upper breast and throat were streaked,
whereas most juvenile Peregrines have a whitish chest and throat. As the bird
flushed from a utility pole, its wing beats were shallow and labored relative to
a Prairie or Peregrine Falcon. Its
'hands' or part of the wing that consisits of the primaries, and base of the
wing were slightly broader than those of a Prairie or Peregrine. The bird was
heavy-bodied (back and chest), like a football with wings. Its back was brown
overall lacking mottling. The bird then perched on a low sign down the road (see
photo) and we watched it full frame in a 60x Nikon scope for about 5
minutes.

Song
or call & method of delivery:

Behavior:

[see description section]

Habitat:

Similar
species and
how were they eliminated:

[see description section]

Previous
experience with this & similar species:

My experience with all North American Falcons is extensive...I have conducted
full-time hawk counts every spring and fall since the late 1980's and have
written articles and consulted on many raptor projects including Hawks in Flight
(2nd edition due out soon), The Wheeler Guide to Hawks (due out soon), The
Sibley Guide to Birds, the Peterson Guide to Hawks (2nd Edition) etc. This may
sound silly and I am shy to say this...In not my own words but stated by Briam
Wheeler, Bill Clark, Pete Dunne, David Sibley, and Clay Sutton, I am considered
one of the foremost experts in raptor
identification, and falcons in particular. This may or may not be true, however,
I do study raptors every day of my life in some form...and this is the only way
I know how to state my experience for the committee. I have seen countless
falcons, but 17 Gyrfalcons in particular.